After School Serenity
by Biscuit15
Summary: When Kyouya ignores his repeated warnings about skipping his classes, it's up to Dino to try and fix his trouble student's bad habits before Kyouya finds himself being given more than just warnings and detentions. AU, D18.
1. Chapter 1

Stepping into the staff lounge of Namimori Middle, Dino Cavallone wasn't surprised to find one of his fellow teachers sitting towards the back of the room, a book open on their lap. The other seemed rather peaceful where he was, not a care in the world as he flipped the page.

"I thought you had a class, Reborn." The blond smiled as he made his way over to the kitchen area, intent on getting himself a coffee. He flicked the switch on the kettle before going in search of a mug, turning to look over his shoulder as the other spoke.

"I did, but I got Skull to take it for me instead." The dark-haired man lifted his head at these words, his fedora shading his face. His voice became serious at this, his mouth set in a firm line as he regarded his fellow teacher with unreadable eyes. "Hibari left class again today. I'm thinking it's time to go talk to his uncle about this seeing as he's down to his last couple of chances. He can't keep skipping or he's not going to pass the year level."

Dino sighed, stilling in his task of adding sugar into the bottom of his mug. He was silent for a few moments, the thought of his student being held back painful to him; he would be lying if he said the teenager didn't hold a special place in his heart, even if said student didn't seem to like him very much, if at all. "Has anyone even spoken to Kyouya about it first? Have they told him he's almost out of chances?"

"Of course they have, and it always results in him trying to fight them. Everyone's given up on him and aren't even trying to stop him if he leaves the room. It's not worth the hassle; Hibari is Hibari, and he's not about to change." Turning back to his book, Reborn turned the page, deciding that he was done with this conversation; it would have been a waste of resources to force the substitute teacher to take his class if he couldn't even finish his book before lunch.

"I haven't given up on him yet, even if he doesn't want me around him. Do you know where he is?" Dino turned the kettle off, knowing he would rather go and talk to his pupil rather than sit down and drink; his students were precious to him, and he would do anything for them, even if it meant sacrificing his own time and energy.

Sure, Dino may not be the best teacher around; he was a klutz, and his students always seemed to be laughing at him for one thing or another, but even for the worst of his students, there was nothing he wouldn't do for them.

"Up on the roof, where he always goes." Waving a dismissive hand in the air, Reborn didn't bother looking up; he knew that Dino would be gone in seconds, the young man too compassionate and caring for his own good.

Reborn wasn't sure how long it would take for the blond to learn that he was too soft on those who didn't deserve it, but he wasn't going to say anything; he had stopped mentoring Dino a long time ago, so his advice was unneeded at this point.

Dino would surely find out for himself soon enough.

Leaving the staff lounge in a hasty manner, Dino knew he had to find the teenager who gave everyone so much trouble; the teacher had never encountered someone as unsociable as Hibari Kyouya before, but no matter how aggressive and violent the skylark could be, Dino had a soft spot for his student; he knew that Kyouya just needed more guidance than he was currently getting, and he was sure that if he could get his pupil to trust him, he could help fix the other's troubling behaviour.

The only issue was… _would _Kyouya ever accept his help willingly? _Did _Kyouya want the guidance he was lacking? Or was he truly fine the way he already was, going out of his way just to avoid the other students and spending most of his time by his lonesome up on the school roof? Dino didn't quite know the answer to these questions, but he would be more than happy to find out; whatever the skylark needed from him, he would give without hesitation, even if that meant respecting his standoffish nature and finding a new way to help other than seeking him out all the time.

By the time Dino arrived on the school roof, he found the student in question curled up on his black jacket, fast asleep. Dino couldn't help but smile at the sight, almost not wanting to wake the other up when Kyouya was sleeping so peacefully; while there was still an air of danger around the younger, he looked far more relaxed than he was when awake, and the blond wanted to savour this moment, it being such a rare occurrence.

"Kyouya?" Dino was sure to stand a few feet away from the sleeping student, knowing that the teenager would be greatly irritated at being woken; having his naps interrupted seemed to be one of the worst offences that could be done, and the teacher had seen the damage inflicted upon unsuspecting pupils for breaking the unofficial rule; it wasn't pretty, and Dino wished to avoid it happening to him, too. "Kyouya, you know you shouldn't be skipping classes to sleep."

Kyouya's eyes snapped open, a look of annoyance thick in the grey orbs. He sat up, a soft yawn escaping his lips. "You should know better than to disturb me when I'm sleeping, herbivore. I'll bite you to death for that one."

Dino stood his ground, knowing that even though Kyouya was a force to be reckoned with in his own right, he could hold his own against the volatile teenager, even if he never wanted it to have to come with that; all he wanted was a nice, civil talk between them. "Don't you think you should be staying in your classes, Kyouya? You can sleep when you get home."

"Don't think you can be giving me orders, herbivore." Standing up, the skylark pulled a pair of tonfa out from beneath his jacket, holding them in front of him threateningly.

Dino stayed where he was, speaking in a calm tone; he had been dealing with the younger long enough to know that any hint of fear or panic would be enough to set Kyouya off into a rampage. "Why are you so tired all the time, Kyouya? Are you getting enough sleep at home?"

Kyouya didn't reply to this; he instead charged at his teacher with his weapons raised, agitated greatly when the other backed up but still refused to fight; he wasn't one for talking, and he didn't respect _anyone_ – the concern the blond seemed to hold over him made his touchiness grow, seeing it as a sign of weakness that shouldn't exist in the first place.

"I won't fight you, Kyouya," Dino said in a gentle manner. "I just don't think you should be skipping all of your classes. You have math now, don't you? Why don't you go back inside and –"

The teacher made a soft gasp of pain as the hard steel of one of the tonfas slammed into his cheek with crushing force. He stumbled back, his head dropping as he raised a hand to his injured cheek. The bone didn't feel broken, but there was a dull ache in the side of his face that was evidence enough of _some _sort of damage to his cheek.

Dino knew he shouldn't have dropped his guard the way he had, but was it really so bad he wanted to believe Kyouya would at least hear him out? Maybe he had put too much faith in the student, but he couldn't help it; he was sure that beneath the violence and aggression, there was a half-decent person inside Kyouya, one that just needed a bit of coaxing and to be shown it was _alright _to trust some people. For that, Dino would do whatever it took to bring that side of his student out.

"You made two mistakes." Kyouya stepped back, lowering his tonfa as he regarded Dino with a cold expression. "One; you came out and woke me up. Two; you are bothering me with petty things I do not care for when I could have finished off my nap in peace. You have one minute to go back downstairs, and if you choose to stay up here, it won't just be a warning hit."

Dino was silent as he regarded the younger with pain-clouded eyes. He sighed, knowing that he had come out here and gone about things all wrong; Kyouya was a fickle person, and he had to be handled with care lest one get the shit beaten out of them. He shouldn't have woken his student up; he should have let the other sleep and instead spoken to him later when he wasn't as tired.

"We'll continue this conversation another time." With that said, Dino turned around and headed back into the building, a thin string of blood dribbling down his chin.

Kyouya watched him go before he lay back down in his previous spot, intending on finishing off his nap.

_**~~XX~~**_

Sitting still while the school nurse tended to his injury, Dino couldn't help but sigh; he loved his job and all of his students, but sometimes he felt at a loss as to how he could help them all. Kyouya was his biggest issue, having never met another student who acted out the way the skylark did. What made things hardest was that he really had no idea what could be causing the teenager to behave this way; he wasn't sure as to why the Prefect was living with his uncle, but he knew there was no case of abuse or neglect there; Kyouya's uncle was a very kind person who loved his nephew greatly. The teenager wasn't bullied because he had made such a name for himself, there were only two students in the entire school who dared challenge him, and while one of them would get the shit beaten out of him, the other was evenly matched against the skylark; that was a delicate situation, and Dino knew for a fact that wasn't it because Kyouya had been this way long before meeting said student.

Dino felt like a horrible person; he couldn't even think of any other possibilities that may explain Kyouya's attitude, no matter how hard he tried.

"Oh, my, he really got you hard, didn't he~?"

Dino glanced up at the man, frowning as he noticed the perverted smile on his friend's face; of course that innuendo was intentional… "I'm not in the mood, Lussuria."

The school's nurse, a flamboyant Italian named Lussuria, chuckled as he shook his head playfully. "I'm sure Kyo-chan is just having~ teenage~ troubles~"

Unsure of how this man had kept his job for so long as Lussuria seemed to have nothing but sex on his mind all the time was a mystery to Dino, but he couldn't complain; at least his heart was in the right place and genuinely cared about his job and making sure everyone was alright. "That's not it, Luss. That's just how Kyouya is."

"Oh, that's just what he wants you to believe, hon~ He just needs to have it given to him hard so he'll calm down~"

"How do you talk about students like this and still have a job…?" Dino felt a bead of sweat roll down his face as he became uncomfortable with this conversation; he was a twenty-two-year-old teacher entrusted with middle schoolers; he couldn't betray that expectation on perve on his students like the school nurse could.

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know~?" Behind his thick sunglasses the man was never seen without, Lussuria winked at the younger before he blew a kiss into the air.

Dino groaned inwardly, not knowing what he had done to have life hate him so much today. Shaking his head, the blond blocked out the taller male's ramblings and instead focused on his thoughts; there had to be _some _way he could get through to Kyouya; he just hadn't found it yet.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Ah, Kyo-san."

Closing the door to the office Kyouya had long-since claimed as his own for the Disciplinary Committee he headed, the skylark turned around to find his second-in-command, Kusakabe Tetsuya, approaching him.

"Tetsu." Kyouya picked his bag up from the ground, closing the distance between the other. He fell into silence as he walked beside the taller male, the only other person aside from his uncle he could get along with.

Tetsuya didn't feel fear as he relayed the day's events to the Prefect, knowing the smaller male would listen in silence to him; he didn't know what he had done, but he had done _something _in order to get the other to somewhat trust him.

"And then they – Kyo-san?" Tetsuya stopped walking when his friend did, finding that the skylark must have been distracted by the small gathering up ahead. "What is it, Kyo-san?"

Kyouya didn't reply; he was too outraged by the crowd blocking the staircase he needed in order to go home. He walked up the group with a calm demeanour, but everyone who knew who him could tell he was angry; crowds were at the top of the list of things Kyouya hated, and forcing him to go near them was a _big _no-no.

"What do you think you're doing standing there?" Kyouya fingered the handle of his tonfa, ready to pull it out and use it again. "Don't you herbivores know not to crowd around by now?"

Dino, who had been talking to some of his students, backed up at this, giving the younger room to descend the staircase. He glanced at the three standing with him, raising his hands in defence. "My apologies, Kyouya; we didn't realise how close we were to the stairwell."

The brunet who had been standing with Dino squeaked and backed up, hiding behind his teacher while his two friends made the situation worse; the dark-haired student closest to Kyouya laughed, and the silver-haired male scowled and muttered something beneath his breath, only agitating the skylark further.

"Sawada herbivore, you came from detention, didn't you?" Kyouya wasn't surprised when he received a meek nod in response. He sneered. "And what did you do to get in there in the first place?"

"…I didn't do my homework…" Tsuna looked to the ground, reaching up to take Dino's jacket as a silent plead for the teacher to save him. "I'm sorry, Hibari-san…"

"I should bite you to death right here for not respecting my school's wishes." Raising his tonfa, Kyouya was just about to swing before a familiar head of blue hair leaving the detention hall caught his eye. He spun around, changing targets without hesitation, but quickly froze when a blond ran out of the hall straight at him, forcing his attention away from his target and instead onto the current threat.

Preparing himself for a fight, what Kyouya didn't expect was for the blond to lick him on the cheek and then run off laughing, the long-haired vice principal chasing after him with an angry expression; one could only imagine what the boy had done to piss the man off this time. There was a loud yelp seconds before a thump filled the air, the unmistakable sound of a body falling down stairs. Everyone was silent for a few seconds, not knowing what to think, but when a familiar giggle filled the air and running footsteps sounded from downstairs, everyone let go of their baited breaths; the blond student had survived the fall and clearly found it funny as he was continuing his task of running away from the vice principal who was most likely going to murder him and dump his body in the ocean for shark food.

"Where did the pineapple herbivore go?" Looking around for his arch nemesis, Kyouya's agitation grew as he found that the blond wasn't the only one playing hide-and-seek; the blue-haired teenager he had been about to attack was gone as well, a clear taunt meant to rile the skylark up further.

"I think he's long-gone," Tetsuya said softly, understanding his friend's distress; having lost against the blue-haired teenager once in a fight, Kyouya couldn't cope with the same feelings again – not when he felt he had something to prove to their fellow student ever since their first run in.

Kyouya was stoic for a few moments before his grip tightened near-unperceptively around his tonfa. Turning back to the original group who had caught his attention, the skylark muttered, "You got off easy this time, herbivore."

With that said, Kyouya was gone, Tetsuya not far behind him.

Dino looked down at his three students, his eyes wide with everything that had happened; he had been sure he was going to have to pry apart two separate fights and stop a third, but to his relief, the other two trouble students had ran off before Kyouya had gotten a chance to fight them.

"Well, that was…" Dino cocked his head to the side, uncertain of the terminology he should use. "…Interesting?"

The younger three nodded before they winced as a loud scream filled the air, followed by someone's shouting.

"Ah…" The brunet student frowned, looking back up at Dino. "I guess Squalo caught Belphegor…"

"Sounds that way." Dino shook his head, trying not to focus on the sounds coming from elsewhere in the building. "Come on; I'll take you all home. Takeshi, Hayato; you two need lifts?"

When it soon became clear that Dino would be taking all three students home, the teacher couldn't help but think of Kyouya; would he ever be able to get close enough with the skylark in order to drive him home from school on occasion? He was very close to the three students he was standing with; would things ever be the same way with Kyouya?

Dino certainly hoped so.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Is anyone particularly bothered by the changing POVs? I want to keep this mostly in Dino's POV as I'm finding the plot easier to write with him, but there are some scenes I feel would be better with Hibari's. What are your thoughts on this? I would prefer to try and keep with one main POV but if you guys are fine with them changing every now and then, then I can do that, too. **

It wasn't unusual for Kyouya to be given detention due to his lack of regard towards his classes. Sometimes he would go, other times he wouldn't, but today he found himself seated in the detention hall, glaring to his far left at the chatter that should have been silenced twenty minutes ago.

"And then Squalo said that I should have gone to my bedroom and closed my door because I'm not allowed to do it on the couch, so he –" The blond in question who had been making all the noise squeaked as hands grabbed him and pulled him from his chair. A look of fright crossed his face as he was moved to the other side of the room away from the student he had been talking to, panicked breaths audible to Kyouya now that the other was sitting two seats away from him.

The skylark watched the vice principal lean down and whisper something into the blond's ear before straightening back up and briefly putting his hand on top of golden locks. He was quick to return to his desk, pulling a packet of popcorn out from the drawer and tearing it open as he surveyed the other students carefully, looking for anyone else doing the wrong thing.

Kyouya sighed, turning back to the homework he was trying to focus on. He could almost ignore the quiet sounds that filled the air whenever the long-haired man ate a handful of popcorn, but when the other instead started throwing the kernels at the blond student, his eye twitched. He gripped his pen tight, ready to snap when the blond began to make agitated sounds and rock in his chair; that damn vice principal should know better than to rile the kid up like this.

Just as Kyouya opened his mouth to tell them both to knock it off, he was startled by the student letting out a bloodcurdling scream and pushing his desk onto its side. The boy continued screaming as he went about demolishing the hall, kicking the chairs over and upturning the tables that surrounded him, as well as knocking things down from nearby shelves so that they shattered into tiny fragments.

"Stop it." Kyouya stood up, pushing the other onto the ground. "Don't think you can destroy my school's property like this."

The blond made a strangled sound before he got back up, lunging at the Prefect. Kyouya grabbed hold of him and pushed him against the wall, ready to beat the shit out of him, but the vice principal got in between them before the skylark could land a fifth blow to his fellow student's head with his fist.

"Get the fuck off him!" The man shoved Kyouya back, shouting a few more choice words at his trouble pupil, before turning to the blond and pulling the younger against him. "Bel, calm down! Belphegor!"

When the blond only continued to scream and bite and hit, the adult was quick to drag him from the room, the other thrashing as his demeanour changed from angry to frightened. Despite the door being slammed behind them, the boy's screams could still be heard as the vice principal dragged him away from the detention hall and to his office instead.

The small group within the detention hall looked amongst themselves, the tiny brunet Kyouya knew as Sawada Tsunayoshi the first to speak.

"Should someone go and make sure he's alright…? That was a bad episode…"

"Squalo's got it," Tsunayoshi's silver-haired companion said, his green eyes looking down at the homework he had been doing prior to the other's break down. He didn't sound very caring, almost as if he wasn't bothered in the least by the fact that the blond had snapped again.

The tallest of the trio, a dark-haired teenager named Yamamoto Takeshi, frowned as he looked back at the door, his usually-gentle eyes full of sadness. He was quiet as his two companions spoke, wishing he could go out and help the other.

Kyouya, who could feel his irritation quickly reaching its peak, squeezed his pen tightly; this was a detention session, and it should be respected as much, even after what had just happened; the group shouldn't be talking amongst themselves; their heads should be down and they should be writing.

"Kufufu~"

Kyouya bit down on his lip as the blue-haired teenager on the other side of the room laughed. He stood up once more, ready to finish the fight he had wanted the previous day; he had been in a sour mood after realising the other had only left in order to bait him again, and it had taken all his willpower to keep himself from attacking the younger all day; he had been intending on doing so when there were no teachers around to break it up. "I'll bite you to death, herbivore. There's nothing funny about this."

"Oh, I find _everything _about the situation funny." The taller teenager sneered, remaining where he was sitting. His heterochromatic eyes shone with malice, his very aura agitating the skylark more than anything else could. "Especially the fact that you will not bother going to your classes but will more often than not attend the punishments for your actions. I figured you would simply disregard detention as you do everything else that does not involve making everyone hate you."

"Oi, Mukuro, shut the fuck up." The silver-haired male, Gokudera Hayato, turned to glare at the other student, his own annoyance building. "No one likes _you, _either."

"Oya, you are wrong, Hayato," the other promised. "Tsunayoshi likes me very much; maybe more so than he does you."

Tsuna squeaked at his accusation, reaching out to grab his best friend's arm. He shook his head, his eyes wide. "That's not true, Gokudera-kun; Mukuro is just trying to start fights again."

"Well, it's working," Hayato growled, his hands clenched by their sides.

"What's going on?"

All eyes turned to the door, finding Dino stepping into the room. He looked puzzled, as if he didn't quite understand what he was doing here, but in his arms he held his laptop which showed he knew he would be here for a while.

"Kyouya, please sit back down." Moving to the front of the room, the blond placed his laptop down on the desk before he moved to the mess the other trouble student had made. He picked up property belonging to said pupil, bringing them over to the trio's desk. "Takeshi, please return these to Belphegor; he is in Squalo's office at the moment."

Takeshi didn't need to be told twice; he grabbed what was being passed to him and left the room. Dino sighed as he went back to the clutter, putting tables the right way up and sliding the chairs beneath them before doing his best to push the shattered glass into one area where it would be cleaned up soon. When he had done that, he moved to his own desk, turning his laptop on.

"So what happened?" Dino was much more lenient in supervising detentions than the vice principal was; while the other was strict in his rules, the blond didn't mind a bit of slack in order to talk to his students for a little while. "I haven't seen Belphegor so distraught in class since school started back."

"He was talking to Yamamoto, so Squalo moved him." Tsuna sighed, not entirely sure if that was what had caused it; he had been paying attention to his work, not seeing anything else that could have elicited such a reaction.

From the other side of the room, Mukuro Rokudo rolled his eyes. "He threw another tantrum because Squalo threw popcorn at him. So childish… Perhaps he should be put in a special school where they will treat him like the two-year-old he thinks he is."

"Oi, that's my boyfriend!" Hayato pointed an accusing finger at the other, his green orbs flaring with anger. "Only _I _can talk about him like that!"

"Yes, because you already take _such _good _care _of him." The sardonic tone was thick in the blue-haired male's voice. From across the room, Kyouya twitched, ready to rip his arch nemesis to shreds; the more Mukuro spoke, the angrier he became. "You are always pushing him away and making him feel bad about himself. Did you not try to dump him four times in one week, only for him to not understand what you wanted? If I did not know better, I would say there is only sex between you two."

"We don't even have sex! I try to fuck him and he throws tantrums! Why do you think I'm trying to dump him?! Not my fault he's not getting the hints!"

"Mukuro, stop." Dino held a firm tone in his voice now, knowing he had to stop the conversation before it caused more disarray amongst the teenagers. "Bel doesn't like the texture of popcorn; he can't help the way he reacted."

"There is a lot of texture he doesn't like; his behaviour towards things he does not like is an embarrassment towards this school and the other students in it."

Kyouya stood back up at these words, stomping towards Mukuro. "What gives you the right to decide this about _my _school? You transferred from Kokuyo a month ago; you have no say in my school or the students in it."

"Are you standing up for him, Kyouya?" Mukuro sneered, his eyes shining with malice. "I seem to recall you hating Belphegor. It would certainly explain why you have sent him to the hospital more than once."

"I am not standing up for him, but you are still an outsider, and harassing a Namimori student like this can be considered a personal attack on my school. I'll bite you to death for that one."

"Kyouya!" Dino almost didn't know what to do, always feeling at a loss whenever these two students conflicted; there was such a strong mutual loathing between them, what would stop them fighting with other students wouldn't work when they were fighting with each other – it was almost as if they wanted nothing more than to kill each other. "Kyouya, stop! You, too, Mukuro! There's no need to be fighting like this! Mukuro, you _do not _talk about Belphegor the way you have been; I won't tolerate that kind of discrimination against him. Kyouya, I know you're upset, but you need to stop, too! I will handle this; there's no reason for you to stress yourself."

"If you cared so much for your school, you would actually follow the rules yourself instead of thinking you are above them." Mukuro's sneer grew, his eyes full of loathing. "You are spoiled and selfish, more-so than the blond brat you just defended."

Kyouya looked over his shoulder as their teacher came to his side. He knew that if he had his tonfa on him he'd have hit both the blond and the blue-haired male by now, but instead they were in his locker with his other belongings.

"I am leaving, herbivore," Kyouya muttered, turning around to snatch his things off his desk. "I'm going home. If you wish to deal with the pineapple herbivore yourself, I insist on you dealing with him properly. I will fix him tomorrow myself if you don't."

"Kyouya!" Dino knew he was powerless to stop his student; Kyouya was obviously upset, and it was a miracle he hadn't taken matters into his own hands and tried to thrash every person in the room; the skylark should have became so irritated, he took it out on anyone and everyone.

While the skylark was quick to leave, Mukuro couldn't help but laugh, a mischievous look in his eyes as he said, "Kyouya can be as sooky as Belphegor; it is hard to tell which one of them is more of a baby."

Dino took a deep breath before he replied, angered by these words; he knew that the two aforementioned students both needed work done with them, but there was no reason to treat them like this; they each had their own issues, but Dino would be damned if he let that define them instead of who they truly were.

"Close your mouth and finish your work; I will have extra for you to do before you leave here tonight." Standing up, Dino glared down at his blue-haired student. "You will be staying back an hour extra tonight, and I will expect you tomorrow morning, for both of your breaks and again after school in my office for the rest of the week."

Mukuro's smile faltered slightly, his annoyance well-hidden. He did as he was told, knowing the blond would not hesitate to make the sentence lengthier.

Dino himself returned to his desk, speaking only to help his students with their work. His mind was too focused on Kyouya, knowing that he really had no choice but to go and talk to the teenager's uncle; the vice principal would be only too happy to kick the other out here and now for trying to fight the blond student when he was as vulnerable as he had been; though the man tried his hardest not to treat the boy any differently to the other students, the vice principal was known for favouring his adoptive kid over the others and having it out for whoever tried to bully said kid.

Kyouya would be lucky if he didn't find himself expelled tomorrow, and that would be getting off lightly.

**~~XX~~**

"Come on, Squalo, don't do this." Dino couldn't help but frown at his best friend, the two walking side-by-side as they left the school grounds in order to go home.

The long-haired man beside Dino growled, his hands clenching. "I said he's fucking gone, Bucking Horse! He's done nothing but give me trouble since he's been here! And look at this! _Look _at it!"

Dino frowned as his fellow Italian leant down next to the boy clinging to his sleeve like a lifeline. The man who went by the name of Squalo Superbia brushed long blond bangs away, revealing a bruise just beneath the boy's eye. The youngest of the trio, Squalo's adoptive kid Belphegor, drew in a startled breath as he hid his face in the other's chest; he never had been able to make eye contact with anyone, one of the two reasons he had grown his bangs so long.

"I am sorry that Belphegor has been injured, but Kyouya has done far worse and you never tried to kick him out for those things." Dino tore his gaze away from the spot of blood in golden locks, knowing that Squalo would be on the way to a doctor to have his kid's head wound checked; it must have been a nasty blow to have drawn as much blood as the English teacher could see.

"That brat pissed me off at those times, too, but he didn't start shit!" Pointing at the smaller blond who was now peeking up at the two adults, Squalo snarled. "_He _started all the previous fights by being a fucking shithead! But I won't have _anyone_ doing what that little fuck did to him when he was already so stressed! Bel started the other fights but Kyouya had no fucking reason to do what he did that time!"

"Squalo, I'm going to go and talk to his uncle today; I'm going to fix this." Dino sighed, threading his fingers through his hair. "Please, give him another chance; I'm sure there's something I can do. I _am _sorry things were taken out on Bel, but surely you know the other students don't understand his tantrums; it must be frightening to them to see him behave the way he does."

"It's none of their fucking business; they can butt the fuck out of things that don't concern them." Putting his hand on top of Belphegor's head, Squalo growled. "He's _my _fucking kid and I'm trying my best with him! They can fuck off with their judgemental shit!"

Remaining as calm as he could, Dino put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "No one's judging you, Squalo; you're doing a great job."

"No, I'm talking about them judging my kid!" Pulling his car keys from his pocket, Squalo pressed the button on his remote. His car beeped as it unlocked, and it was then that Belphegor broke away from his guardian in order to get in the car. "And your fucking student is one of the worst ones for it!"

"I'm going to fix it, Squalo; I promise."

Squalo opened the door to his car, his dark eyes fixing on hazel ones. "You've got one chance, Bucking Horse; if he fucks up again, he's _gone_."

Before Dino had a chance to reply, Squalo closed the door and started the ignition, a sign that their conversation was over. Waving farewell to the younger two, the blond turned around to go to his own vehicle. He unlocked it and sat in the driver's seat before pulling out a small piece of paper from his pocket, double-checking the address that would lead him to Kyouya.

When the teacher was satisfied he had memorised the address, he put the paper down and started the car, reversing out of the park and making his way back out onto the roads. He hoped Kyouya and his uncle would be home, knowing he had to talk to them today at the latest.

Hopefully Kyouya's uncle would be able to do something to help, because the last thing he wanted was for his student to be kicked out of the school.

**~~XX~~**

It didn't take long for the door to Kyouya's home to be answered, and when it was, Dino found himself looking down into said teenager's grey orbs. He blinked in surprise, having hoped he would find his student's uncle first; he had a feeling the younger wouldn't talk to him, let alone allow him inside the house.

"Is your uncle home?" Dino held a hopeful smile on his face, surprised the door had been held open for this long; any second now it would be slammed in his face, he was sure of it.

"He is at his girlfriend's home. He will not be back until tonight."

"Well…" The teacher sighed, wishing Kyouya wasn't so complicated. "Would you mind if I came in for a bit?"

In response, Kyouya went to close the door, only to have the blond jam his foot in order to keep it open a little.

"Please, Kyouya, I really need to talk to you; it's urgent."

"Leave, or I will bite you to death."

"Kyouya… Will you let me talk to you if I promise to fight you one day?" As if these were the magic words, Kyouya froze in his task of trying to take his teacher's foot off with the door. There was silence on the inside of the house which told the blond Kyouya was most likely thinking it over, and when the door opened again, Dino knew he had won.

"Fight me now." Kyouya gave the older male an expectant look, his usually-stoic eyes staring into Dino's.

"I can't fight you right now, Kyouya; what if your uncle comes home and things get blown out of proportion?"

Without another word, the skylark went to close the door again. He stopped when Dino almost begged him to hold on, curious as to what the other had to say; was he about to get his fight after all?

"Kyouya, just because we can't do it now doesn't mean we _won't_…" Dino sighed, almost not sure how to explain things. "If we… organise it for some time in the future, we can make sure no one bothers us and that way we can have our fight without worrying about anything falling back on either of us. I'm sure you would find it annoying if someone were to break it up and fire me; you wouldn't be able to finish out fight otherwise."

"..." Cocking his head, Kyouya thought this over; it certainly would be a frustration if something were to interrupt their fight; he had heard rumours about Dino's strength around his school, hearing that the blond was gifted in using bullwhips. Teachers often muttered about the English teacher having grown up with Squalo and the two constantly using each other as training buddies - apparently they were both a force to be reckoned with, and the principal of the school was said to be stronger than them both.

Maybe, if things went alright, Kyouya would be able to fight the other two as well at some point.

"Alright." Stepping away from the door, Kyouya remained tense. "Organise our fight and I will listen to what you have to say. But not a minute sooner."

Dino nodded. "I need you to stop fighting with Bel and to come to all of your classes if I am able to fix this, Kyouya; Squalo was about to kick you out but I convinced him not to. He's given you one last chance so please, I need you to do this for me."

"The blond herbivore irritated me."

"I know he did, but he didn't mean to do that; he was upset. He doesn't realise his behaviour is wrong."

"I will hit him again if he dares destroy my school's property like he tried."

"Please don't; Squalo will kick you out and we'll never get to fight, Kyouya."

"..."

"Please... Let me go home and I'll organise everything. I will be back to talk to your uncle so I'll let you know then. Alright?"

Kyouya nodded, taking that as a sign that the conversation had ended. Closing the door in his teacher's face, the skylark turned around and headed back to his room.

Outside the house, Dino sighed. He would do whatever it took to help Kyouya, but would things really be that easy? At least his student had somewhat listened to him, more than he had honestly expected when realising he would still be dealing directly with the teenager.

Leaving the veranda to go back to his car, Dino reminded himself to text Squalo later and inform him that he may have found a way to deal with his trouble student.

Hopefully Dino was doing the right thing, knowing that fighting seemed to be the only thing that could get through to his pupil. As much as he didn't want to have to raise his fists to his pupil, he felt as if he truly had no other choice but to do so.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for your feedback last chapter; I will try my best to keep this in Dino's point of view whenever practical. **

It was hard for Kyouya to walk past the staircase leading to his favourite relaxation spot, but he wanted to fight the blond teacher more than anything; he would have to pass on his naps for hopefully just a few days, and then once he had gotten what he wanted, he could go back to spending his time on the roof. It would irritate him to no end complying like this, but if it would give him a fight…

Opening the door to his English class, Kyouya didn't care that he had come to school late; the blond herbivore had better be happy he had even showed up at school in the first place.

"Oh, Kyouya." Dino looked over his shoulder from where he had been writing on the board, glad to see that, for now at least, his student was listening to him. "Open your textbook to page fifty-two, please."

Kyouya took his usual seat in the far corner of the room, hating how there were too many students in this one class for him to sit somewhere by himself. Taking out his textbook, the skylark opened it to the designated page, finding that they were studying essays today.

With a sigh, Kyouya closed his eyes, wishing he had skipped class after all; what was the point of learning to write essays in English when he would never use said skills again once he finished school?

"Has everybody got the introduction down pat?" Dino turned around to survey his students, sighing when he found the usual two pupils fast asleep with Kyouya seemingly not far behind them. "Oi, Ryohei. Bel. Don't sleep in class."

While the grey-haired teenager whom Kyouya knew was another of Tsunayoshi's band of herbivores woke up, Belphegor didn't move in the slightest, still fast asleep. Dino gave an exasperated look before he turned his attention back to the rest of his class, knowing he could get them on the right track and then deal with the single student once everyone's attention was on their work.

"Okay, so using the topic example in your textbooks, our first paragraph will be set up similar to what I've put on the board. If we look at this, we'll see that…"

Kyouya wasn't interested in the least, already knowing how to write English essays; he had been taught this last year, so what was the point in coming to class to learn about something he already knew? Turning to look out of the window, the skylark focused on the drops of rain that rolled down the window.

Deciding that he may be allowed to leave class if he were to show Dino he could do his work, Kyouya blocked out his teacher's voice as he jotted down his ideas and general planning for the structure of his essay. Choosing his own topic to write about, he made points about what he wanted to talk about and the conclusion he wished to come to. Focusing entirely on his work, the skylark ignored when his teacher started walking around, handing out sheets to everyone.

"Kyouya."

The Prefect looked up at his name, finding Dino standing before his desk. He glared at the other, irritated by the happy-go-lucky look on the blond's face. "What?"

"Making your own topic?" Dino looked down at the notes his student had spread about, appreciating just how organised the younger could be when he put his mind to something. "Can I have a look?"

"You can look when it's done," Kyouya muttered. "I don't need your help; I know what I'm doing."

"That's fine," the teacher promised. "I'll make an exception for you seeing as you've already started your essay; please stick to the criteria next time, Kyouya."

Kyouya waved a dismissive hand, not wanting to continue on with the conversation. Dino nodded in understanding, finishing his task of handing out sheets before he went to his sleeping student's side in order to try and rouse him without the younger throwing another fit.

Putting together his essay relatively fast and with little trouble, Kyouya was quick to put the finishing touches on it and take it up to Dino. Standing by his teacher's desk, the skylark watched as hazel eyes scanned his work; he knew there shouldn't be anything in there that would disappoint the blond as he was confident in his skills, and seeing the smile that continued to brighten on the Italian's face only proved his point further.

Looking up at his student, Dino smiled, unable to stop thinking that Kyouya looked absolutely adorable when he was trying not to pout – he knew it was ill of him to think like that, but he couldn't help it; something about the younger truly attracted him. "This is good, Kyouya; I'm happy with it."

"I've done what is required of me; I'm leaving." Turning around, the teenager started leaving, only to stop when Dino called his name once more. "What, herbivore?"

"You don't think you could stay for the rest of the class?" The teacher held a hopeful look on his face at this, his head cocked slightly to the side. "You could catch up on the other lessons you've missed if you do."

"I'm not interested." Continuing on with his journey, Kyouya left the classroom, making his way back to the roof; it had been a while since rain had fallen, so it would be nice to listen to the soft drops as he lost himself in thought.

_**~~XX~~**_

Stepping into the staff lounge at the end of the day, Dino wasn't surprised to find it was already populated; in one corner Reborn was relaxed on the couch as he spoke to the two gym teachers Colonello and Lal Mirch. Looking over to the back of the room where the school's accountant was sitting with Belphegor, Dino watched as the woman helped the youngest pack up his belongings so that they could approach.

"Do you know where Mukuro is?" Dino frowned at Reborn, a little disappointed in his student for skipping out on detention. "He never showed up to my office."

"He probably went home; he's looking after a kid from what Tsuna told me." Reborn couldn't help but play with his sideburns, his eyes shadowed by the fedora he was never seen without.

The English teacher sighed. "That's fair enough, but I still wish he had at least given me some warning that he wouldn't be coming." Reaching out to put his hand on Belphegor's head now that the boy was close enough for touch, Dino smiled down at him, trying to ignore the upset frown his charge was wearing. "Hey, Bel. Sorry to be stuffing you around so much today; I couldn't do anything about this."

Belphegor's frown deepened, shifting in agitation. He clenched his jaw in stress, not knowing how to convey his feelings; it was hard for him to express himself, and the best he could do was act out.

"Squalo said to call him later." The accountant, an indigo-haired woman who called herself Mammon, spoke from Belphegor's side. "He said it's about Kyouya."

"I got him to come to class for a little bit, and he did his work before leaving." Dragging his fingers through his hair, Dino shook his head. "Mammon, will you please tell Fon I need to talk to him?"

Holding her hand out expectantly, Mammon waited until some coins had been placed in her palm before she replied. "I will tell him tonight."

"Thank you, Mammon." Smiling appreciatively at the woman, Dino turned back to the other teachers. "Has Kyouya come to your classes today?"

"Not mine, kora." Colonello crossed his arms against his chest, his eyes taking on an annoyed look. "I don't think he's so much as stepped close to my classes since he's been here."

"He came to mine," Reborn said in an absentminded tone. "Took his work and left again. He did it because he had left it on my desk at break."

"At least he's somewhat listening..." Dino looked down as he felt Belphegor tugging at his sleeve. "What's wrong, Bel?"

"You like Kyouya." The boy spoke in a confident tone, stating what he saw as fact; he had observed their interactions long enough to see that his fellow blond seemed to like Kyouya more than the other students, even if Dino wasn't exactly aware of it; Dino didn't give off any signs of intentionally favouring Kyouya, but that was what the man did, even if unconsciously.

"Of course I like Kyouya; he's my student and I like all my students, Bel."

"No; like how I like Hayato-kun." A lopsided smile crossed the youngest's face at this, his head tilting. "You do everything Squalo told me I would do if I found someone I liked; I can tell."

While Colonello and Lal simply laughed, not taking the student seriously, Reborn hummed as he continued playing with his sideburns, his expression unreadable; so someone else had noticed, too...

"What would you know about romantics, kid?" Lal couldn't keep the teasing out of her voice, egged on by Belphegor's lips twisting in confusion. "You haven't even had sex yet, virgin boy."

"Enough to know that you suck Colonello's dick like I suck Hayato-kun's." Belphegor didn't understand why Dino was suddenly slapping a hand around his mouth to silence him; Squalo always let him talk about those things when they were together, and his tiny circle of friends didn't seem to mind either; they never told him to stop; they just changed the subject.

"Belphegor!" Dino took a few steps back, only to stumble and almost fall. Shaking it off, he laughed nervously as he regarded the others. "Don't mind him, he's just upset because Squalo's still at court and his routine keeps getting changed on him."

Reborn was silent as he let the two leave, knowing that he hadn't been the only one in suspecting something between Kyouya and Dino; as childish and immature as Belphegor could be, he was certainly a genius so it was only natural for him to notice this as well.

At least now Reborn knew he wasn't imagining things.

"I swear that kid's retarded, kora." Colonello looked down at Lal, rubbing his cheek. "I wouldn't believe he's a genius if I haven't seen his school marks for myself."

"He's autistic…" Reborn spoke robotically as he got to his feet, his mind focused on only one thing. "Where'd Viper go?"

"She left; she leaves so quietly, it's as if she teleports or something." Lal didn't think much about Reborn's unusual behaviour; she was too busy with Colonello to really care.

Reborn hummed again, knowing he should talk to Mammon; like himself, the woman was observant, had most likely noticed Dino's behaviour as well, and Belphegor had probably gushed her ears off countless times about his own discovery.

The man was curious by nature, and he wanted to know what was going on; his suspicions weren't enough; they needed to be proved once and for all.

_**~~XX~~**_

"You shouldn't have said that in front of them, Bel." Closing the door behind him, Dino frowned at the boy. "You got yourself teased, and I could have gotten into trouble if they had believed you."

"Why are you admitting it to me when I already know and denying it to everyone else?" Unable to read facial expressions and not quite understanding what tone of voice meant what, Belphegor didn't have much to go on except for what was being said to him – from his point of view, Dino was agreeing with him. "Go admit it to them; they're the ones who need to hear it. Except Reborn; Mammon told me he knows, too."

Shaking his head, Dino's frown grew. Leading the boy into the living room and sitting him on the couch, the young man turned the TV on for his guest, letting him wind down from his day of school. "I'm not admitting anything, Bel; I _don't _like Kyouya like that. He's my student and – have you said anything to Squalo?"

"Said what to him?" Letting his schoolbag fall to its side, Belphegor curled up on the couch as anime played in the background.

"About you thinking I like Kyouya."

"Oh. Yeah, I said you like him." Belphegor blinked, startled when his host made a strangled noise and threw his arms out in front of him. Continuing on, he said, "Squa laughed and called you a pedophile."

"Don't tell him _anything _like that, even if it isn't true! I could lose my job!"

Belphegor shrugged, turning back to his anime. He rolled on to his side, tightening his jacket around him as he made himself more comfortable. "Squa doesn't care about stuff like that."

"Yes, he does, Bel!"

"Nu-uh. He gets hard when he's with me."

"Yeah; because there's _girls_ around. Bel. I know Squalo, alright? You're going to start trouble if you tell him things like that."

Making an agitated noise, Belphegor thumped his fists against the couch. "Stop yelling at me! I didn't do anything wrong! I hate you! I hate you, and I'm gonna tell Squa you touched me in a bad place when I said no!"

"If you tell him things like that, he won't believe you if someone really _does _touch you inappropriately, Bel; you can't make things up like that."

"Shut up! I hate you, and I want to go home!"

Dino sighed, leaving the room; he knew he shouldn't have tried to parent such a difficult, ill-mannered boy, but what could he do? His job was on the line, and he needed to make sure Belphegor understood that.

But could there be some truth to what the younger was saying? Belphegor wouldn't have run his mouth off to Squalo about things like that unless he was talking about his day; there would be nothing for him to gain telling his guardian directly if he were simply trying to get something.

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Dino started to text his best friend about Belphegor's behaviour; it would result in the boy getting his ass kicked, the man knew, but he really didn't have a choice; Belphegor desperately needed to learn that he couldn't keep using those kinds of threats just because he wasn't getting his own way.

As much as Dino loved the boy, sometimes it was hard work looking after him, and the blond was amazed that Squalo had been able to do it for so many years he really had little patience for others – even _he _wasn't sure he would be capable of caring full-time for someone like Belphegor because it was truly an exhausting job.

"Kyouya..." Unaware of the name that left his lips, Dino frowned at his phone as he typed away, hoping Squalo would be here soon; he knew Belphegor would inevitably have another tantrum any minute now, and he hated dealing with them; he felt he didn't have the right to discipline Belphegor without Squalo's presence, and would much rather leave it to the man who knew what he was doing; he would never forgive himself if he did something that hurt Belphegor in any way.


	4. Chapter 4

_Knock knock._

Looking up from the homework he had been grading, Dino smiled as the door to his office opened. He wasn't surprised when two heads of black entered his view, finding Kyouya and his uncle standing before him; it was nice to see that Mammon had done as she said she would and tell her boyfriend that Dino needed to talk to him.

"Hello." Gesturing to the seats before his desk, Dino made sure to be as welcoming as possible; he desperately needed to sort out his student's behaviour here and now before it got any worse and he couldn't convince Squalo to give out more chances. "I'm glad you could make it, Fon."

"It's no problem; I'm happy to be here if it will help Kyouya." The older male's gentle aura softened further at these words, the Chinese man's bond with his nephew strong. "Viper told me he has been misbehaving again and that his punishments will be far more severe if he doesn't stop it."

"Ah..." Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, Dino nodded. "Kyouya... kind of beat up Squalo's kid, so... It's a miracle we're all still standing here talking, really..."

The oldest of the three, Fon, sighed before he looked at his nephew, Kyouya leaning against the far wall with his arms folded against his chest. "Kyouya, how many times have I told you not to fight like this? There is self-defence, friendly competition, and then there is just bullying. I've spoken to you numerous times about the latter, and I want it to _stop_."

Kyouya closed his eyes and turned his nose up in the air, a soft grunt filling the air. "..."

"I apologise sincerely; he has never been the same since his parents died..." Letting his eyes meet with Dino's, Fon allowed his emotion to be conveyed; it hurt him as much as it did Kyouya to think about these things, but if it would help people understand his nephew... "They died to a drunk driver; something completely avoidable had someone been responsible enough... Kyouya saw it all, and I guess from then on, he's taken rules and laws seriously – because he's seen what can happen if people don't follow them. In his own little way, I'm sure he's trying his hardest to make sure the same thing never happens again, whether or not to just him, or all the people around him."

"..." Dino bit his lip, having never heard about this before; it made sense that Kyouya obsessed with enforcing rules, and going through something traumatic would definitely have sent him a little loopy; could the entire reason be he was this way because someone had done the wrong thing and destroyed his life? He could understand that, and it certainly wasn't fair for Kyouya to have gone through what he had – no one should have to suffer through something so devastating, and knowing this only made Dino more determined to try and get his student to trust him.

The teacher truly wished he had been told this earlier, because perhaps he could have done something had he _known_ instead of letting Kyouya's pain fester inside of him, locked away and hidden from the world.

"Don't pity me, Cavallone," Kyouya muttered, his eyes open and staring straight through Dino as if the other were made of glass. "I am not weak; I do not need pity. My past is in the past, and I am who I am. That is a fact that will never change, no matter what. Don't treat me as if I'm something fragile because I'm far from that."

"Kyouya..." Shaking his head, Dino knew that his student was right; the youngest had survived this far, and he would continue surviving; Kyouya was tenacious and there was no way he would lose to _himself _of all people. "...I am very sorry, Kyouya; forgive me. I know you're none of those things."

"Viper has filled me in on a lot of his recent troubles, so please forgive him; I have already had a long talk with him about it and I sincerely hope he will not bother anyone again." Fon was genuine as he spoke, but he could never be one-hundred per cent sure Kyouya would listen to him; even as his uncle, the teenager still rebelled against him at times. "I will take full responsibility if he mucks up again, but I do ask for you to give him another chance; he's a good kid – it's just hard for most people to see that."

"I know he is," Dino agreed without hesitation. "He's a _great _kid; he just... needs to listen..."

"I fully agree. Please contact me the second he gets out of hand; I will sort him out again for you." Before Dino could reply to these words, Fon changed the subject. "On the topic of Kyouya, could I ask you for a favour?"

"Sure."

"I'm going to be returning to China for a while to take care of some business, but I'm having trouble finding people willing to take care of Kyouya for me." Letting an amused smile slip onto his face, Fon clarified. "He has scared most everyone away, and though I am positive he would be fine by himself, I refuse to leave him alone for so long. I would very much appreciate it if you could offer your home to him in my absence; I will pay for all his expenses and if he causes any trouble, I will deal with it immediately upon my return."

Dino nodded, not even thinking this offer over; all he knew was that he would love to share his home with Kyouya and _maybe _get to know the younger on a more personal level; if they could create somewhat of a bond, then...

It may be possible that Dino could finally help his trouble student.

"I would love to look after Kyouya for you, Fon, but I'm not in any need of reimbursements or anything of the sort; I'm just happy that he'll be somewhere safe."

"Thank you very much for your kindness; I do hate to have imposed on you like this, but even Viper would not help me out and there aren't many people I can trust Kyouya around. I know you are quite capable of looking after yourself, and I do not think I would really want to ask Squalo or Xanxus for… a multitude of reasons…"

"I understand." Looking over to the skylark who was standing so silently by the door, the blond could almost _feel _the anger wafting from Kyouya; it seemed that the teenager was nowhere _near _happy about his new arrangements, but hopefully that would be something that could be fixed in time; he couldn't expect for the other to be over the moon about things, after all. "When would you like for me to have him?"

"I am so sorry for the short notice, but is it possible to for you to take him today after school? I am happy to arrange his bags myself."

"That's fine." Dino smiled brightly, just glad to help out. "Bring his bags to reception and tell them to give them to me; they'll be safe in my office."

"Thank you very much; I will return the favour for you however you wish." Standing up from his chair, Fon bowed politely as he backed out of the room. Stopping only to smile at his nephew, he was quick to disappear; he was rather busy for the day, so he would have to hurry and organise things.

Dino was the first to break the uncomfortable silence, almost feeling intimidated by the killing intent he could sense from Kyouya. "Kyouya...? I understand if you're not happy, but – Kyouya!"

In the blink of an eye, the skylark had yanked the door open and stormed out of the office, leaving a stunned Dino behind. The man couldn't deny he felt a little hurt by the action, but he had to be understanding; putting himself in Kyouya's shoes, he would be very upset, too.

Hopefully the younger would find time to calm down soon.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Do you guys know anything about Kyouya?" Sifting through his bento, Dino understood that he was an unusual sight right now; he couldn't imagine many teachers purposely sought out students to sit and eat lunch with.

Tsunayoshi cocked his head to the side, his own bento on his lap. "Not really... Just that he's scary..."

"I don't think anyone really knows much about him," Takeshi explained. "I mean, I've never heard him talk about himself, and he's really distant from everyone, so I'm not sure."

"I doubt his uncle even knows all that much; he's so closed off." Lighting up a cigarette, Hayato tried to ignore his boyfriend clinging to him and licking at his cheek. "He's just a fucking asshole."

"Kyouya's cute~" Rubbing his cheek against Hayato's, Belphegor smiled placidly. He let out a dreamy sigh before he returned to his task of licking the younger's face, needing the stimulation; there was a lot of sensations he hated, but he quite enjoyed both the feeling and taste of skin against his tongue. "Do you think he masturbates to me? I do to him sometimes if Hayato-kun has been mean."

"Oi, you fucking traitor!" Hayato raised his fist in a threatening manner, uncaring as the other flinched and threw himself backwards, raising his arms over his face. Elbowing Belphegor in the stomach, he paid no attention to the other's whimper, just glad that no one was draping themselves around him like an oversized teddy bear now. "Fucking stop licking me and get the fuck off! You shouldn't even be thinking about others like that when you're with someone! Fuck, I don't even know _why _I haven't kicked your ass to the kerb yet!"

Belphegor's lips twisted before he slunk over to Takeshi, hiding behind the baseball lover. He sent his boyfriend a reproachful look before he started licking his friend's cheek next, his eyes fixed on Hayato lest the other come over and hurt him again; truth be told, he was a little frightened in this moment, not wanting to be hit again.

Takeshi laughed cheerfully, not bothered in the least by the warm tongue lapping at his cheek. "You can stay here with me, Bel; Gokudera's just in a bad mood again."

"You want him?" Gokudera sneered at the two, his fingers twitching as he took a deep puff of his cigarette. "You can keep him; I don't give a fuck – finally gets him off my damn back..."

"Gokudera..." The tallest of the trio frowned, hating how the silver-haired male could treat Belphegor so badly; the blond was so sweet, and it was heartbreaking to watch him cling to Hayato in confusion, not understanding why he was made to feel so sad.

Making a mental note to talk to Hayato about his treatment of the other student, Dino gathered everyone's attention back on him. "Kyouya's going to be staying with me for a while at my home."

Tsuna squeaked, not sure how he felt about these words; he himself would be too afraid to let the skylark anywhere near his home, knowing just how easily the other would beat him up over the littlest thing. "He'll kill you!"

"No, he won't; I've actually been thinking today..." Trying to verbalise his thoughts, the teacher sighed. "...Perhaps... Kyouya has been misunderstood by everyone..."

"What do you mean?" Takeshi was drawn in by these words, unaware of Belphegor fleeing the embrace he had just tried to put the blond in.

"Well... Maybe he's just trying to do as he sees right. Maybe..." Not wanting to reveal what Fon had told him, Dino was careful to dance around the subject, "...maybe there's a reason he's so adamant in making sure that people follow the rules. I mean... No one really knows anything about him, so... Anything could have shaped him this way."

Tsuna nodded in agreement, Takeshi in awe of the teacher's understanding of Kyouya. Hayato simply scoffed and stood up, brushing off his pants.

"I'm going to get some water, Tenth; I'll be back." Stepping past Takeshi and Belphegor, the silver-haired male was sure to kick his boyfriend in the process. He was remorseless as the older male flinched and cried out, his hypersensitivity intensifying what discomfort someone else would have felt into pain. His agitation grew further when it took just seconds for the blond to decide to follow him again, albeit in a very wary manner; it seemed that Belphegor knew that if he got too close, he would get hurt again. Turning around, Hayato closed the distance between them and shoved the skinnier male to the ground. "Fuck off, Bel! You follow me around enough as it is!"

Belphegor clenched his jaw, a soft noise of distress escaping him, but it didn't stop him from getting back up and trying to latch on to his boyfriend in a manner that was simply pitiful to the three watching them. Quickly learning that he had to keep his distance from the stronger male, he resorted to following behind in silence, unable to stop the pain in his heart from growing; he just wanted to be close to his boyfriend, so why was he always hurt when he tried to do so?

"I'm going to be having a long, serious talk with Hayato about treating Bel with a bit of respect..." It was rare for Dino to get mad, but he couldn't stand seeing the boy being treated like that; it was devastating that Belphegor could still hold love for Hayato, even though he never got it in return. The English teacher hated to admit it, but everyone knew the silver-haired male was only in the relationship for whatever sexual contact he could get out of Belphegor, and even then, there wasn't a lot the blond would do.

Tsuna looked to his lap, knowing he also should be saying something to his best friend, but Hayato was honestly scary, no matter how much Tsuna knew the other would never hurt him. Instead, shaking his head, he uttered, "...If Hibari-san is going to be staying with you, I think all you're going to be doing is discipline..."

"Yeah, I think you might be on to something, little bro..." Rubbing the back of his head, Dino sighed. "Wish me luck."

Somehow, Dino wasn't sure they would be able to give him all the luck he needed; this wasn't going to be an easy ride, after all.

_**~~XX~~**_

"This is my home." Closing the front door behind him, Dino watched his student carefully. Kyouya was tense as he stood in the entrance hall, looking around at his surroundings with a stoic expression. "Would you like for me to show you around?"

"No; I can work things out for myself." With that said, the skylark clutched his bag closer to him as he walked further into the house. Dino knew better than to follow him, so he entered the kitchen just off to his right, knowing a coffee would do him wonders right about now; he was tired, having exerted a lot of energy with his students.

Flicking the coffee machine on, Dino waited until Kyouya stepped into the room. "Kyouya, would you like a drink or anything?"

"…" His eyes staring into Dino's, Kyouya never broke eye contact. "Tea."

"I'll make it for you now. I'll leave it on the counter for when you're ready." Dino wasn't surprised when the other left again, but he didn't let it faze him; Kyouya was probably feeling very apprehensive about this, and would appreciate being left alone.

Dino would love for them to be able to sit together and just be content like that, but he knew it wasn't going to happen any time soon.

He just hoped that things wouldn't always be that way.

_**~~XX~~**_

Kyouya was a quiet guest, Dino had quickly discovered; he had soon found somewhere he could sit and do his homework in peace, and he hadn't bothered his host for _anything; _he was independent, and he didn't care if he came off as rude; he could get his own drinks and he wasn't going to ask for permission to eat. He would take what he needed for as long as he was here, because he would have been just fine looking after himself in his _own _home, but his uncle had insisted and treated him as a child.

Now, after dinner, he was as quiet as ever as he sat on the living room couch with a book open on his lap, his pet bird nestled in his locks. Dino sat beside him with a glass of wine in his hand, watching some sort of comedy that the student found utterly boring and ludicrous; how could someone _stand _watching these kinds of movies?

Feeling his eyelid twitch as Dino's phone rang from his pocket, Kyouya restrained the urge to take the phone and snap it in half; he had been raised with better manners than to destroy his host's property, even if he wasn't exactly thrilled about being here.

"Hey, Tsuna."

Kyouya glanced over at the adult, wondering why a teacher was talking to their student over a phone; wasn't there supposed to be some sort of rule against that for safety reasons?

"No, no; algebra's easy, Tsuna. What is Reborn trying to teach you so far?"

Kyouya relaxed at this, understanding it was a simple tutoring call; he wouldn't stand for anything more.

"Take some photos of your work and send them to me so I can have a look, please."

Turning back to his book, Kyouya flipped the page; he would allow this for now, but the second the phone call turned more than just educational, he would make sure Dino hung up; how dare the blond exchange numbers with his students in the first place.

To the skylark's relief, the call lasted for less than fifteen minutes, and it stayed on the subject of algebra. He looked at his teacher when Dino had slid the phone back into his pocket, his voice cold as he said, "Teachers are not meant to be contacting students outside of school hours."

"I know, but Tsuna's kind of like my little brother to me, so it's okay."

"You know his parents?" Kyouya grew harsher, not sure he wanted to accept this excuse; could he really make exceptions for such reasoning?

"Well… It's just hard to explain, you see? But we're really close."

"…" Deciding he would let this one go for now, Kyouya turned back to his book; he knew that Dino was truly harmless, so he didn't have to worry about the brunet herbivore suddenly going missing or anything of the sort.

"Anyway, are you almost ready for bed? I think I might head off soon." Rubbing the back of his head, Dino stifled a yawn. "It's been a long day for me. What time do you usually go to sleep?"

"By ten." The student couldn't keep the hostility out of his voice, not sure why being in this position with Dino was agitating him so much. "However, I will go to bed whenever I wish."

"That's fine, Kyouya; if you're going to be up late, please try not to make too much noise. You can have the room across from mine; it's already set up for guests."

"I'm taking the room next to yours; it looks far more comfortable and welcoming."

"Kyouya, I'm sorry, but you can't have that room because it's Bel's and he's going to get very upset if even _I _so much as walk in there."

"Don't tell him; what he doesn't know won't hurt him." Standing up from the couch, Kyouya took his book and started heading for the hallway, knowing there was nothing his teacher could say that would persuade him to take the other room; he felt extremely uncomfortable being here as it was, and the guest room was simply far too empty for him to settle into; he had never spent the night outside of his uncle's home before, and a room with just a bed and a wardrobe in it made him more uneasy than he already was.

At least if he took Belphegor's room, there was a setup that was close enough to what he was used to; it wouldn't be the same as his own bedroom, but it would be more familiar to him than something that was probably hardly ever used.

Opening the door to Belphegor's bedroom, Kyouya stepped in, glad that Dino hadn't followed him; he would appreciate not being disturbed when he was already feeling disconcerted about his situation.

Kicking the door shut behind him, Kyouya continued over to the bed. He climbed onto it and relaxed against the headboard, sliding beneath the thin sheet that would have no chance of keeping him warm; how was the blond herbivore expected to sleep like this?

As if to answer his question, Dino knocked on the door and waited for a response before he entered, a thick comforter in his arms. He smiled apologetically as he approached, saying, "The sheets on that bed are only very thin, so I thought you might want this."

Kyouya didn't reply; he just watched as the other tripped over the edge of the comforter that was dragging along the ground. He saw the embarrassment on his teacher's face, and he couldn't help but smirk; serves him right for thinking the younger needed his help in the first place.

Trying to brush off his fall, Dino said, "If you're going to use this room, please try and put everything back how you found it; I'll be the one dealing with another tantrum if Bel finds someone's been playing with his things."

Kyouya nodded, taking the comforter from his guardian. He spread it out on the bed, glad to find that it was _much _warmer than the single sheet he had almost believed he was going to have to sleep with.

"There are some more sheets in the container beneath the bed if you want them; I was going to fold them onto the end of the bed with Bel when he stays with me next; he likes to see the changes being made to his room." Offering his student a bright smile, Dino was hardly aware of his heart speeding up; he had never thought Kyouya would be in his home like this, but it made him happier than he had been in a while. "Please try and treat his belongings with respect. Anyway, I'll be in the room next door, so if you need anything, just wake me up. Goodnight, Kyouya."

Dino wasn't surprised when the other ignored him, but he tried not to let it get to him; he had to be patient and understanding.

Entering his own room, Dino closed his door quietly. He was quick to change into pyjamas and curl up in bed, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't seem to fall asleep. Turning the TV on, he found that he was slowly drifting off now that he wasn't so focused on his thoughts, and the last thing he remembered thinking before he fell asleep was that it would be much better if Kyouya were there for him to embrace and fall asleep with him in his arms.


	5. Chapter 5

When Dino awoke the next morning, he found Kyouya already awake and eating his breakfast at the dining table. Sitting by the skylark, the blond offered a smile.

"How long have you been up for, Kyouya?" It was six-fifteen, and Dino hadn't been expecting for his charge to wake up so early; teenagers tended to sleep in, so why was the student different?

"I always wake up early. I haven't been able to sleep in since I came to live with Fon."

Understanding the hint, Dino nodded, leaving it at that; the Prefect still suffered from the loss of his parents, even if it wasn't easy to tell. He wondered if the teenager was lonely, if he stayed up at night and mourned for his parents. Did Kyouya push everyone away because he didn't want anyone to take the place of his parents? Was Kyouya simply a child acting out because he was hurt in a way he couldn't express? It made sense to the blond, and if that were the case, he wanted to help.

"You wouldn't mind coming to school early, would you?" Getting back up to move to the coffee machine, Dino noticed his guest had gotten himself a cup of tea; at least he was comfortable enough to help himself to what he needed. When Kyouya shrugged in response to the question, the blond smiled. "I was just thinking... Would you rather go out for a cup of tea before or after school?"

Kyouya raised an eyebrow at this, not sure what to think; he often went out to tea houses with his uncle, but never before with someone else; could Dino be trusted in this moment? "Either..."

"Well, seeing as you already have a cup of tea now, would you like to go out for one after school?" Dino didn't understand the fluttering of his heart, just that he knew he would be overjoyed if Kyouya accepted his offer.

"I suppose..." Wary of the other, Kyouya tensed imperceptibly; he didn't trust people, and he didn't know why his teacher was the only one apart from his uncle attempting to treat him as an equal; people weren't supposed to like him because they were supposed to_ fear_ him for whatever reason everybody did.

"Great!" In his excitement, Dino forgot about Kyouya's unsociable nature, wanting to share his happiness with the younger; it was only natural for him to begin rambling, his joy in this moment immeasurable. "I know a really nice tea house not far from school. Squalo and I go there all the time; they make quality consumables. One time when we were there, we - oh... Sorry, Kyouya, I don't know what came over me; I won't bother you with my memories."

Kyouya blinked, not entirely sure why he felt a tad disappointed the other had stopped; part of him was annoyed that Dino would even attempt to reminisce around him, but the other half was curious about what could have gotten the teacher so happy; what could he possibly remember that could bring him this kind of spark in his eyes?

It was strange for the skylark to take an interest in someone other than his uncle, but he had to admit that he often found himself paying more attention to the blond than he would anyone else; after all, he wouldn't have listened to just anyone when they asked him to come to classes, even with the promise of a fight.

"Continue." Folding his hands on his lap, Kyouya gave the other an expectant look. "I am curious."

Unable to hold back the huge smile breaking out over his face, Dino started again. "We went there when we were teenagers ourselves. Squalo had just taken Bel in and at the time we thought he was really moody and difficult when it came to eating. We had tried to feed him nearly the entire menu but he wouldn't eat any of it, and Squalo got so frustrated he left the table. He left his plate of dango there as well, and by the time he came back, he found that Bel had eaten it all and had the sauce all over him. Squalo hadn't even so much as touched his _own _dango, and by then we had to leave, so he wasted so much money on trying to find something Bel would eat, and in the end he didn't even get his own meal. He spent the entire night at my home sulking and Bel wouldn't stop pestering him with dango sauce still on him. I swear Squalo was ready to kill him."

"You are close to those two herbivores." It was a statement, and Kyouya couldn't work out why it annoyed him to know this.

"Yeah, Squalo's been my best friend over ten years. He didn't have a pleasant childhood, and because I was the only one nice to him, he just kind of stuck to me like glue. We know each other like the backs of our hands."

Knowing of his teacher's sexual orientation, Kyouya found it quite reasonable to ask what was on his mind – however, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to hear the answer. "Have you ever been with him?"

"He was curious so he experimented with me at one point, but he found he just likes girls."

Kyouya's eyes narrowed, hating the idea of his teacher being with someone, especially someone he despised; it angered him, and it made him want to hurt the long-haired man for reasons he didn't truly understand. "You had sex with him."

Dino nodded. "He didn't like it, so we never did it again."

Feeling irritated by what he was learning, Kyouya's fingers twitched as he longed for his tonfa; how Dino deserved a good whack around the head with them...

"Does he hold your virginity?" The skylark couldn't help but growl this question.

Dino was growing uncomfortable with these questions, and it was obvious in the way he fumbled with his hands; it wasn't that he didn't want to talk about his adventures with Squalo, but for some reason, it made him uncomfortable to talk to Kyouya about. He had spoken to Belphegor plenty of times about it when the boy asked questions, but though he had been just fine talking to his fellow blond, it made him nervous divulging this information to his younger student. "We have each other's, yes..."

It was what Kyouya said next that_ really_ surprised Dino.

"I don't like that. I hate it." Pushing his plate away from him, Kyouya stood up.

"Why? You're my student, Kyouya; something like this shouldn't bother you. Why don't you like it?"

"I don't know. I just don't. I want to bite the long-haired herbivore to death for that."

"Anyone would think you're jealous, Kyouya." Dino had simply been teasing, but it seemed that Kyouya took it seriously; the other's eyes widened and an agitated frown crossed his face.

"I am _not _jealous," Kyouya hissed. "I will bite you to death for even thinking that. I don't want the long-haired herbivore; I don't care that you had him - I don't care _who_ has him, because I don't want him."

Dino wasn't stupid: Kyouya thought he had been implying that the skylark was jealous someone had already had Squalo. Was it conscious or not that he hadn't taken it that way about his teacher?

"I didn't mean it like that, Kyouya; I'm sorry. I was just joking."

"Your idea of humour is terrible, Cavallone; it wasn't a funny joke at all." Standing up from the table, Kyouya moved out of the dining room, intending on getting himself ready for school. He didn't know why he was feeling so irate over the conversation, but he couldn't shake the anger he felt towards Squalo; why did _he _get to be the one to touch Dino like that?

Suddenly uneasy with his own train of thought, Kyouya shook his head and tried to think about something else; he wasn't sure he wanted to know where his mind was headed.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Have you had sex with Kyouya yet?"

Dropping his pen to the desk, Dino's mouth fell open as he turned to stare wide-eyed at his blond student, the younger innocently swinging his legs back and forth as he rested his chin on his arms folded against the desk. "Bel! Don't talk like that!"

Shrugging, Belphegor made no move to change his position. "I'm allowed to talk about sex as much as I want. Squa will hit you again if you keep bullying me because you're a prude. And you didn't answer my question; have you had sex with him yet?"

"Wha – no! He's my _student!_ I'll lose my _job!_"

"But do you _want _to have sex with him?" Uncurling himself from his slouch, the boy nudged his abandoned schoolbag with the tip of his shoe. "Hayato-kun really wants to have sex with me, but everyone says I can't have it because it'll damage my body. I don't want to have sex anyway; I don't like sex, but Hayato-kun keeps trying to make me. Why does Hayato-kun want to have sex with me when I don't want to have it with anyone?"

"Bel, I don't want to talk about Kyouya like this; he's my student and it's inappropriate. As for you and Hayato, you know Squalo is the best person for you to talk to; he will help you more than I can. Please talk to him instead of me; as long as Hayato listens to you when you say no, you don't need to tell me anything, okay?"

"I said no last night, but he still put his hand down my pants." Taking no notice of the flash of horror that crossed Dino's face, Belphegor continued on, feeling a little angry; he didn't know how to express himself, but sometimes he really hated Gokudera. "I said I didn't want him to touch me there because it hurts when he does, but he touched me anyway. He always makes me take my clothes off, too; especially at night when we're going to bed."

"Why didn't you say anything?!" Getting up from his chair, Dino moved to Belphegor's side. Kneeling by the boy, his hazel eyes softened tremendously, wishing he could pull the student into a hug, but knowing it would only hurt the other if he were to touch him. "How many times has he done that?!"

Blinking, Belphegor didn't understand why the teacher was so worked up; it was normal what happened between him and Hayato, right? Just because he didn't like it didn't mean much; he saw it all the time on the adult movies he watched on the internet, so why was Dino acting like this? Everything Gokudera and he did were _normal_, no matter how much he sometimes wanted to hurt his boyfriend because of it. "He always did it, even before he said we were boyfriends now and were going to do lots of things together."

"He didn't even ask you out first?" Dino could barely believe what he was hearing, and it agitated him to no end; how _dare _someone take advantage of innocent little Belphegor like this?! "He just said you were boyfriends now?!"

"Was he supposed to ask first?" Feeling daunted by this information, Belphegor shifted uncomfortably. "He just said we were; I didn't know he had to ask first."

"Squalo didn't tell you that?"

"Was he meant to?"

"What's going on?"

The two blonds looked over to the office door, finding Kyouya stepping in with an agitated look on his face.

"Why's the blond herbivore in here? He should be in class." Glaring at the boy who had now tensed with his lips twisted, the Prefect was about ready to hit the other for breaking class rules; he hated how Belphegor always got special treatment, because the other certainly wasn't deserving of it; he was just a little shit who lived to piss everyone else off.

"Ah, Kyouya..." Putting his hands in the air to grab the youngest' attention, Dino shook his head. "Bel is allowed out of class when it's storming as long as he's with me or Squalo; that's why you have a substitute teacher right now."

"You're both skipping class for such petty reasons; you're a teacher, now get out there and teach, and take him with you."

Dino frowned, understanding exactly where his student was coming from, but it wasn't that simple; he would have liked to explain things to Kyouya, but he doubted the skylark would understand or care to try – the teenager seemed to have as little empathy skills as Belphegor; non-existent, in other words.

"Kyouya, I-"

"-The Bucking Horse wants to have sex with you." Belphegor cocked his head to the side, a grin crossing his face. He took no notice of the twin looks of horror the others donned, instead continuing on. "He likes you like how I like Hayato-kun; do you like him like that, too?"

"B-bel…" Dino could almost imagine the way the younger was going to react, none of it good; he would be lucky if both he _and _Bel got out of this unscathed. "Kyouya, he doesn't mean that; sometimes he says things like that just for the sake of saying it; it's not true."

Kyouya's eyes slowly moved from Belphegor over to Dino, for once feeling as if he had hit a blank; how was he supposed to respond to something like this? Was it true, or another lie the blond boy had made up for attention? He knew full-well that the older male constantly sought out whatever interactions he could get from others, but…

To be entirely honest, the idea of Dino liking him was slightly more tolerable than if it were someone else.

"Settle down, Bel, I've already told you not to say things like that."

Kyouya couldn't help but observe how gentle his teacher was with Belphegor, and for some reason, it made him relax; there was a sincerity about the young man Kyouya had only ever felt with his uncle, and he slowly found himself trusting the other a tad more; Dino _was _a lot like Fon, and in that case…

Kyouya could handle it. The skylark wouldn't go as far as to say he liked the older blond, but… Dino was someone he could trust, he knew that much.

"Do you really like me or is he after attention again?"

"I wouldn't say he's looking for attention…" Putting his hand on the giggling boy's shoulder, Dino really didn't know how to answer that; how was he supposed to answer a question he wasn't entirely sure of the answer to in the first place? "More that he… is trying to convey an observation…"

"So you _do _like me." Clenching his hands, Kyouya narrowed his eyes; unexpectedly, he wasn't _completely _agitated; just a little annoyed for reasons he didn't quite understand, mixed with something that felt so foreign, he was certain he had never felt it before.

"No, no!" Throwing his hands in the air again, Dino shook his head, but a nagging feeling in the back of his mind made him wonder; was the true answer yes…? "I…!"

The older blond didn't get a chance to reply; his office door opened once again and Squalo stepped in, two other adults visible behind him. Dino felt his chest clench painfully, noticing just how similar the two looked to Belphegor; so it was finally time…

"Brat…" Squalo was unusually quiet, coming no further than the doorway. He looked to be full of turmoil, and Kyouya was quick to notice that his teacher was now donning the same expression; what was going on? "Come here."

Belphegor visibly tensed, sucking in a harsh gasp. He dropped his head, shaking it, taking a few steps back to put distance between them. "…"

"Brat. I've already got your bag; you have to go…" Squalo's voice was choked now, as if he were fighting back a tidal wave of emotion. "I'm sorry; you've got to go, Bel…"

Tears started slipping down Belphegor's face now, his head shaking harder. He rocked slightly, his hands fumbling with each other. "N-no… I don't want to go… I want to stay with you…"

"I know you do…" Stepping further into the office, Squalo unintentionally backed his charge into a corner, the other refusing to let him near. "I don't want you to go either, but you have to… I tried my best…"

When Squalo's gloved hands made contact with Belphegor's shoulders, Kyouya and Dino were unprepared for the loud scream the other made, knowing that the boy could handle touch as long as it were given by the long-haired man; the skylark knew that whatever was going on was far more stressful for Belphegor than anything else had been.

Squalo didn't hesitate to pull the boy into a tight hug, holding him close until the other stopped screaming. He held Belphegor still so that Dino could say goodbye, soon picking the student up and carrying him out of the office without another word. The door was closed behind them, but even so, the blond's screams started up again, audible even in the office; Kyouya wasn't sure he wanted to know what was happening outside.

"What is that about?" Kyouya turned to look at his teacher, raising his eyebrow.

Dropping his head, Dino wished he didn't feel as torn up about this as he did; he could only imagine how Squalo was feeling, and it made him feel as if he didn't have any right to be upset; it hadn't been _him _who had loved, cared for and treated Belphegor as his own for the past eight years, after all. "…Squalo lost custody of him; he has to go back to his parents…"

Kyouya was surprised by these words, knowing just how close Squalo and Belphegor were; why had this come about in the first place? Even _he _didn't doubt that the vice principal was a great guardian, having seen for himself how protective and understanding he was of his charge; how could someone who was willing to go to great lengths for an autistic brat who wasn't even his _lose custody _like this?

However, before he could question it, Dino spoke again, trying to distract himself; he didn't want to shed his tears at school, wanting instead to do so in the privacy of his own home; he knew he would never see Belphegor again, and that stung like a bitch. "Why did you come to find me, Kyouya? Do you need something?"

"I don't want to come to class if you aren't teaching it; I only came for you."

Dino didn't know why, but these words were what broke through his emotions, sending a few tears down his cheeks. Pulling Kyouya into a hug, he was too distraught to even realise that the teenager, while tense, was allowing him so close.

Why this was, Dino didn't think he would ever know.

_**~~XX~~**_

Hours later, Dino stepped into his living room, finding Kyouya sitting on the couch with a novel on his lap. Grabbing the teenager's attention, he said, "I have to go and make sure Squalo's okay; would you like to come with me or stay here?"

"I'm staying here, herbivore." With that said, Kyouya turned back to his book.

Dino nodded, mumbling a goodbye; he was truly concerned for his best friend, the emotional text message he had just received on his phone from the other worrisome; knowing Squalo, the long-haired man would be drinking himself into a state worse than he already was in.

Grabbing his coat and keys from the rack by the front door, Dino let a few tears escape before he opened the door to his car. He couldn't help but think back on his last conversation with the blond boy, and the more he thought about it, the more he wondered; what if Belphegor had been right all along? He was certainly smart enough despite his condition to pick up all the cues, reading them in other peoples' interactions but not his own.

And then, thinking back to how he had found so much comfort in the teenager after Squalo had removed Belphegor from his office, he understood; Belphegor _had _been right; he just hadn't realised it until Kyouya actually let him in for once.

Dino _did _like his student, but having only just understood his own feelings, he wasn't sure how much exactly; was he in love with the skylark, or did he just have a bit of a crush?

Only time would tell.


End file.
